Expository Writing
Courtney Krup
Expository Writing
10/20/2010
Paper 3
Humans are perceived to be the most evolved and advanced form of life on earth today, especially in comparison with other animals on the planet. The actions of both humans and animals have been analyzed for centuries, as seen in the works “Meat and Milk Factories” by Peter Singer and Jim Mason, “An Elephant Crackup?” by Charles Siebert, and “The Solitary Stroller and the City” by Rebecca Solnit. In each of these essays, the author delves deep into the actions of either humans, animals, or both; and comparing their findings shows startling results. Singer and Mason explore the world and practices of animal farming, and reveal the violent lifestyle that these animals must endure. By comparing their work to Siebert’s and Solnit’s pieces, the revelation is that these procedures are not only comparable to human life, but are actually utilized by humans as well. If the application of farming procedures is seen in human lives, then humans behavior has not developed, so violent control is constantly used to overpower others. A common procedure of animal farming is to cage animals for their entire lives, and this aspect of suffocating confinement is also seen in some American cities. Animals raised for meat production are caged in an effort to control them from birth until death. Singer and Mason revealed the effects of confining female pigs in crates, highlighting the fact that “in addition to psychological stress, sows in crates are also less healthy than sows able to walk around” (Singer and Mason, 548). Farmers utilize this procedure as a tool of control, yet by doing this they effectively eliminate the freedom of animals to carry out normal, every-day activities in nature. Similarly, the elephants that were studied by Siebert are also experiencing confinement because humans are violently inhabiting more and more of their land. “All across Africa, India, and parts of Southeast Asia, from within and around
Expository Writing
10/20/2010
Paper 3
Humans are perceived to be the most evolved and advanced form of life on earth today, especially in comparison with other animals on the planet. The actions of both humans and animals have been analyzed for centuries, as seen in the works “Meat and Milk Factories” by Peter Singer and Jim Mason, “An Elephant Crackup?” by Charles Siebert, and “The Solitary Stroller and the City” by Rebecca Solnit. In each of these essays, the author delves deep into the actions of either humans, animals, or both; and comparing their findings shows startling results. Singer and Mason explore the world and practices of animal farming, and reveal the violent lifestyle that these animals must endure. By comparing their work to Siebert’s and Solnit’s pieces, the revelation is that these procedures are not only comparable to human life, but are actually utilized by humans as well. If the application of farming procedures is seen in human lives, then humans behavior has not developed, so violent control is constantly used to overpower others. A common procedure of animal farming is to cage animals for their entire lives, and this aspect of suffocating confinement is also seen in some American cities. Animals raised for meat production are caged in an effort to control them from birth until death. Singer and Mason revealed the effects of confining female pigs in crates, highlighting the fact that “in addition to psychological stress, sows in crates are also less healthy than sows able to walk around” (Singer and Mason, 548). Farmers utilize this procedure as a tool of control, yet by doing this they effectively eliminate the freedom of animals to carry out normal, every-day activities in nature. Similarly, the elephants that were studied by Siebert are also experiencing confinement because humans are violently inhabiting more and more of their land. “All across Africa, India, and parts of Southeast Asia, from within and around